Posted by Mike Bailey on Wed, Apr 08, 2009 @ 10:42 AM
Every manufacturer has developed, or more likely, "fallen into" a method for managing their manufacturing process as projects move from concept and design to manufacturing and documentation. While individual software components that make up this process may be evaluated and changed like CAD tools, Validation Software, Data Management, CAM software, or Technical Publications tools; rarely is the entire engineering process analyzed for possible improvements. To that end, Alignex has developed their vision for Collaborative Engineering and will be presenting this vision in an "Interactive Theater" format at live events this spring. Locations for these Theater events include Edina, Brainerd, Fargo, Sioux City and Cedar Falls, Iowa and in Eau Claire Wisconsin from mid April to early June.
To accomplish their goals, Alignex turned to one of their best customers, Vermeer Corporation, manufacturer of large industrial equipment, as inspiration. Alignex wanted to use a real life example of this process, including using actual customer data in their presentation. For this showcase, they chose Vermeer's HG8000 Horizontal Grinder (shown below). With a complex design and 5000 component parts, it provided a great example of a product requiring a great deal of collaboration to produce.
Specifically for the "Collaborative Engineering Interactive Theater", the Engineering team at Alignex developed a scenario whereby a significant component of the suspension system needed to be redesigned because the outsourced manufacturer of that component is going out of business. With production orders still coming and replacement part orders expected, Vermeer wanted to look at the viability of bringing the manufacturing of that component in-house. The Alignex Engineering Theater will present all of the steps that this Engineering Change Order (ECO) takes throughout the engineering process as well as the roles involved to make it all happen quickly and efficiently.
"From a Project Management standpoint, it is important to move the process along, while ensuring all of the necessary steps are taken and documented," Mack Rasmussen, Application Support Manager for Alignex said. "In addition, if you are going to re-create an existing part, why not try to improve it by making it lighter and able to withstand more punishment in the field. It is also important to develop field replacement documentation for service personnel that will have to install the new component. That is what we will incorporate into a single presentation, the engineering process from concept to implementation."
There will be many defined roles at play in this event, just like there are many roles involved in a process like this. The process begins with a Project Manager defining the process and assigning the tasks. From there, a Designer takes the existing design from a legacy system and begins converting it for use in an up to date CAD system. Next, the design is run past a Mechanical Engineer for Design Validation testing prior to prototyping. In between, design files move back and forth through various approvals and revisions, all of which are managed by a Product Data Management system. Moving on, the final design files are brought to a Manufacturing Engineer to produce the machining instructions needed for part production. Lastly, the technical publications for the updated manuals as well as the field replacement instructions need to be created before the new part can go into service. This entire process will be presented in a half-day, fast-paced presentation.
"In product development, speed and precision are imperative for success. In this economic market, tools that can provide these improvements need to be seriously considered and implemented quickly," said Al Switzer, Mechanical Sales Director at Alignex. "We wanted to get beyond the tools and the technology and focus on the engineering process and how the various roles that come into play are managed and interact."
The Alignex Collaborative Engineering Interactive Theater is open to anyone interested, provided they register in advance. More information can be found on the Alignex website or by following this link.
About Vermeer
Vermeer is a leading agricultural, construction, environmental and industrial equipment manufacturing company. Since its inception, Vermeer Corporation has grown from a one-person Iowa operation, to an international organization that manufactures agricultural, construction, environmental, and industrial equipment. Vermeer corporate offices and manufacturing facilities are located in Pella, Iowa, U.S.A., and have 150 dealerships located worldwide.